According to the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), more than 800 athletes and sports officials in Gaza have been assassinated since the offensive of Israel began on October 7, 2023. A total of 421 were footballers, and 103 of them were children. The toll is not only a measure of the number of people who were killed by airstrikes but also the number of people who died due to starvation and destruction of basic infrastructure.
Israel October 7 Attack: More Than 800 Athletes Killed In Gaza
Suleiman al Obaid, was killed as he awaited humanitarian aid in Gaza. Al Obaid was 41 and had five children, and had played 24 international matches in Palestine. His demise highlights the weakness of every civilian including the high profile person in the face of long siege and bombardment. According to the PFA, the military attacks by Israel have inflicted colossal destruction on sporting facilities in Gaza and West Bank. Overall, 288 stadiums, gyms, and club facilities have either been completely or partially destroyed, 268 of them in Gaza alone. PFA headquarters was also attacked in air raids. Organized athletic activity has virtually ceased with 90% of sports infrastructure supposedly rendered inoperative.
Israel October 7 Attack: Palestinian Sports World In Ruins
In addition to the direct conflict loss of lives, the Israeli blockade and humanitarian limitation have instigated a great famine. The PFA has also counted starvation deaths among casualties of its athletes by claiming that in most cases people did not die due to bombs but to the holocaust of denying food. Overall, the Health Ministry in Gaza estimates the further death toll due to fighting, deprivation, and starvation among the wider Palestinian population as more than 61,158 as of the day when the report was developed. The report puts the attack on the sports world Gaza in the bigger context of mass displacement and destruction. Whole societies have been moved and the few who survive now have to work day by day to find basic survival and not training or competition. The symbolic cost that the Palestinian sports community is suffering as the conflict enters its second year is heavy, as it involves the loss of hope, continuity and even institutions that keep youth alive, define identity and normalcy.
As the world focuses on hospitals, schools, and infrastructure, the destruction of sports personalities, some of whom are children, and other local role models is a stark contrast of how war hurts every aspect of the society by killing not only lives but also dreams, ambitions, and strength.
